Too Little, Too Late
by ardhrianna
Summary: Ishizu musing on her brother, Malik. Yes, I use both the Japanese and the American names.


SUMMARY: For the temps mort challenge on livejournal: Transportation (June 13, 2004). Written in 36 minutes. Ishizu introspective.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. A very, very, VERY rich man in Japan does. I just own some cards and a few small figurines. So don't sue me.

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**Too Little, Too Late**

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Ishizu Ishtar looked out the window of the plane, her mind scattered among the clouds they were currently flying through. Naturally, most of her thoughts were centered on her brother. Her brother, whom at the moment was causing more headaches than she would have thought possible only a few short months before. Malik and his Ghoul organization had already stolen two of the three God Cards from their resting place, and were on the hunt for the third.

Ishizu idly wondered if Pegasus had known what these cards really were. He had told her once how and why he had created the game of Duel Monsters, and how he had discovered the God Cards hidden away in a lost tomb, and how horrible things had happened to the members of the research and recovery team, leading to the cards' burial. So Ishizu knew that Pegasus was aware of their strength, but she doubted he understood how important they were to recovering the Pharaoh's lost memory. Only the Gravekeepers were supposed to know that part of it, and only Malik bore the entire story, etched in blood and tears upon his back on his 10th birthday. The discovery of the tablets containing more clues had surprised even her, despite the fact that she was a Gravekeeper and already aware of most of the story.

Her aides had thought she was crazy when she chose a small city in Japan for the debut of her newest acquisitions, but Ishizu had an ulterior motive. Her Tauk had shown her that Seto Kaiba was holding a Duel Monsters tournament, and that was the perfect place to find Malik. The Ghouls would be looking to collect all the rare cards they could, and where better than the biggest tournament Japan had ever seen? Sometimes Malik was just too predictable.

Of course, he would probably kill her, literally, if she ever told him that... the darkness within Malik scared Ishizu sometimes. It was the same darkness that had killed their father, and nearly killed her that day. She knew it came close to overtaking him, and only the constant presence of Rishid kept Malik sane. The presence of Rishid and the desire to get all of the God Cards were the only true constants in Malik's life. Although the fact that he hadn't killed her when she confronted him after the theft of the Winged Dragon of Ra still surprised her. Despite his darkness, Malik obviously still cared about her somewhat.

Sighing, Ishizu studied the card she now held in her hand, Obelisk the Tormentor. The last of the three God Cards, the only one her brother did not possess. And she intended to give it to someone that even the Ghouls would have trouble taking out – Seto Kaiba. The Tauk had shown her that the Pharaoh would have his own God Card soon enough, hence the reason why she didn't choose him. Obelisk was not meant for him, at least, not yet. She smiled a little. Soon all the pieces would be moving and fate would be played out, a fate she had already foreseen.

"Ms. Ishtar, we will be landing in Domino in approximately an hour," an aide told her. "The press will be meeting us at the museum later for the press conference. The director of the museum will be escorting us there in a private car." Nodding politely, Ishizu dismissed the man and returned to her thoughts.

As the plane neared Domino, Ishizu carefully slid Obelisk back into her bag. It would serve her purpose well after she gave it to Kaiba. She knew he wouldn't believe the artifacts, and wouldn't believe that it was his fate to battle the Pharaoh, but at least he would hold onto the card long enough for the Pharaoh to take it from him, giving him just enough power to fight Malik's darkness and perhaps even save her little brother.

She just hoped it wasn't too little, too late.


End file.
